Squeaky-Eye Tech

Good Day Brothers and Sisters!  

I am pleased to say that the Rev. Squeaky-Eye is entering the digital age in a big way, complete with QR Code stickers.  Use your electronic stuff (which you own, not the other way round) to scan the QR code which takes you straight to the Rev's blog page.  Cool, Aye?  The stickers are about 4.25" x 1.4" and stick tighter than a Down-Pressor to a working-person's hard earned dollar.  Thanks to the Genetic Envelope for his hard work and help.

Look to see these stickers popping up in a record store near you, in the bathroom at Smarty Pants and probably on the back of STOP signs in Tucson.  Where else should they go?  Anywhere you want to stick them up, my good friends!  Stickers are free of charge, and shipping is free.  That's right folks, the stickers are FREE, FREE, FREE, devoid of small print.  

Send the Rev your snail mail addy at      the.reverend.squeaky.eye@gmail.com

When the stickers arrive, I will post them out right away.  Need more than one sticker?  Not a problem, The Rev aims to provide.  

Ownership

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters.  I come to you today to talk about a two-headed demon that is stalking our lands, preying upon our Brethren.  This peril, this tool of the Down-Pressor, walks amongst us on a daily basis.  It is spreading its lies over the airwaves, the internet, it is emblazoned on our sports heroes and even on giant televisions standing alongside our highways and byways.  This demon wields a terrible power, and uses that power to reduce us to slaves, slaves of the desire for stuff.

You may ask me, "What is this thing Rev?  What the hell is it that threatens us like this?  What the hell are you blathering about?"  Well, I'll tell you, Brethren, what I am blathering about.  I am throwing down on the Two-Headed Stuff Monster.  That's right, Sisters and Brothers.  This two-headed, two-faced, and false thing tries, with all of its evil wiles, to spread a pernicious plague upon our fair planet.

First, the Two-Headed Stuff Monster creates the lie, the deceit, the myth, of spiritual contentment through consumption.  This creature first will tell you, Brothers and Sisters, that your life sucks, that you are ugly and slow and old and without value.  This hell-spawn will try to convince our good friends and neighbors that their life is without meaning.  Life without meaning and without hope of ever achieving happiness, that is what this slime portrays.  And just as we give up hope, just as we see our last chance for contentment slip away, the monster offers a solution:  Stuff.  If we can have it, Sisters, if we can just buy it, Brothers, we will be happy.  That new car will make us sexier, those clothes will make us prettier, those stupid long-toed, pointy, elf-shoes will make us younger; these are the lies of the stuff monster.  These lies are illusory siren calls my friends, and the truth is not in them.  

My good friends, stuff will not make any of us loved, happy or contented.  We all of us, each of us, know the source of our contentment.  Our peace, our happiness, is held in the hearts and hands of our friends and families, our children; our loved ones, that special someone that makes our heart race when he or she walks in the room.  Here lies our happiness, not in our possessions, not in our stuff.  We know this, my Brethren, yet we heed the false call of the monster and rush to buy the newest piece of junk, rife with planned obsolescence, junk which will quickly fail to satisfy us and then end in our landfills.  Our happiness is there for all of us, in our communities and in our leisure time to enjoy our connections with those around us.  If we listen to the monster, we would hear that only stuff will fill the void in our lives.  My good Brethren, no thing can fill our hearts, only those whom we gather around us can fill our hearts.  Tell the monster this truth, tell the Stuff Monster, that real value, real worth, comes from our connection to our fellow beings in this world.  Tell the monster this and watch it run, watch it shrink and run!  

Perhaps no greater prophet has ever captured the dilemma of stuff, and whether we own our stuff or the other way around, like the very funny and very wise George Carlin.  It is my fondest wish that you take the time to watch this video and that George is cracking them up in the next life, wherever that may be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

The second thing the monster will tell us, after we realize how badly our lives suck, is how great everything can be with new stuff.  Perfectly packaged stuff is awaiting each of us, carefully placed on long gleaming shelves.  This stuff is better than the stuff we have.  This new stuff will make us stronger, lighter, faster and, of course, far more attractive to the folks we are trying to attract.  Not only does the monster tell us, each of us, that stuff will fill the yawning chasm that is the hollowness of our lives, but that the stuff we already have is actually contributing to that chasm and needs to be chucked.  That's right!!  The Monster wants us to chuck our stuff to buy news stuff.  

Why is this?  Why would we throw away perfectly good stuff to buy more stuff?  So we can work harder and have less leisure time, work so hard that we are unaware of the machinations of the Corporate Demon behind the curtains?  Yes, my Brothers and Sisters.  That is exactly what the Down-Pressor wants.  The Down-Pressor wants each of to work more, consume more, throw away more, and to be so exhausted by the entire process that we do not notice the planet being poisoned and the pockets of the Fat Cats being lined.  

The Rev wants to give a whoop, a hallelujah and a big ole' shout-out to a most righteous Sister, Annie Leonard, who brings us the amazing short movie, The Story of Stuff.  Please, Sisters and Brothers, take the few minute required to view this little movie.  Know the real cost of our stuff, the real cost to ourselves, to our neighbors, and to our planet.  

http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-stuff/

We have been deceived by these Corporate Demons.  They have grown so large they fear almost nothing, fear no government, fear no organization. Yet there is one thing, one thing my Brethren, that strikes the fear into their wizened, grasping and tiny hearts:  they fear the loss of their money.  We gave them the money, we can take it back!  Don't listen to their lies!  Stuff will not set us free, stuff will only enslave us.  Remember the words of our esteemed and departed Brother, Malcolm X  "We've been hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray!" 

See the Stuff Monster for what it is and what it does!  Fight the Power!  

The Model

Good Morning Friends and Neighbors!  The Reverend wishes all of you peace and financial freedom on this rain-soaked GreyNorWet morning.

I come to you today, My Brethren, in the brief pause between the sham of Black Friday and pernicious touting for excess spending on Cyber Monday.  I come to you to lay it down on the creeping malaise of consumer over-spending and the consumer debt that follows on the heels of spending like an egg-sucking dog.

On this fine morning, the Rev is setting aside the issue of consumer debt to focus on the single biggest cause of that debt:  over-spending by consumers.  And, my Brothers and Sisters, we are those consumers.  Just as we are, truly, the 99% who can take back the power from the Down-Pressor, we are also the 99% of consumers who provide the capital for the 1%.  

The Corporate Devils, using their lackeys the Down-Pressors, wail and moan that the only way to get our fractured economy "back-on-track" is a return of consumer confidence, and an increase in consumer spending.  Brethren, the "track" that the Devils want to return to is the track of unbridled profits with which to line their pockets.  Sisters and Brothers, the Down-Pressors do not care anything about the fractured economy, except with how it directly relates to the corporate bottom line.  The Down-Pressors will tell our Brethren that it is almost a patriotic duty to spend money on consumer goods.  The Devils, through their talking-head mouthpieces, spread the lie of a sustainable economy based on continually increasing consumer spending.  The Reverend is here to tell you, it is mathematically impossible to have any system that is based on continuous and exponential growth.  The lie of an economy based on consumer spending growth flies in the face of logic, common-sense, and Newtonian physics.  

In future blogs entries, we are going to talk about the fundamental flaws of an economy modeled on continually growing consumer spending.  For now, the Rev would like to bring it back from the theoretical to the get-down of the day-to-day.

I know that all of us, including the Reverend, have to consume goods to survive.  We, all of us, need to eat healthy food, clothe ourselves, and provide our families with shelter.  The Rev is not preaching the gospel of non-consumption.  The power that we have, my Brethren, is the power of using our hard-earned dollars to consume carefully, in ways that are the most beneficial to our family, friends, and community.  So let's get down to it and talk about how we can become wiser consumers, consumers more in control of the impact of our spending habits, both as how our spending effects our own financial freedom, and how our spending effects our community.

"Hey Rev, how can I keep the hard-earned dollars that I spend in my community?"

This is a most righteous question and touches on one of the Rev's favorite things to do.  Keep it local, Baby!  That's right!  I'm not talking about just spending your money on things that are "Made in the USA" which, anymore, are probably just assembled in the USA.  Yes Brethren, that car that you think is made here?  Look at the components!  Digression aside, as the my giant genetic envelope will tell you, "If you shop at the big box stores, eventually all you will have is big box stores."  Wal-Mart is the scourge of communities everywhere, offering the seduction of cheap prices in exchange for oppressive wages to its employees and limited or no health-care coverage for its workers, the workers who are our friends and neighbors.  Wal-Mart, and the other big box stores, directly contribute to the decline of main-street businesses in our fair communities.  

Keeping it local means doing business with the people behind the counter in your neighborhood.  These are the faces of the people that you see everyday, whose children go to school with your children, the folks at the farmer's market who are there every week, selling their healthy goods out of a truck on a cold wet day.  Now, my Brethren, we have a choice to buy local produce instead of pre-packaged and GMO infused junk on a corporate shelf.  That is the key, Brothers and Sisters!  We have a choice!  We need to think of who benefits from the dollars that we spend.  Are we padding the pockets of some parasitical corporation or are we supporting a local business person in our community.  Each purchase has power, people!  The Rev is imploring all of us to make that power count!

"Hey Rev, How can I make my dollars go further in my neighborhood?"

Now we are talking, Brethren.  One great way to make our dollars go further is to buy from a local used book store, used CD store or thrift store in our neighborhoods.  The benefits of this type of shopping are three-fold.  When our good Sisters need some new ensembles, they are saving money by shopping at the local thrift or consignment shops.  When our enlightened Brothers haunt the local used book stores, they are re-using resources and ideas, neither of which should go to the landfill.  When our Brethren need some new tunes, buying used CD's, or vinyl for our audiophile Brethren, they are re-cycling old grooves and turning them into new moves.  

There are many, many, more ways that your consumer choices can have a beneficial effect for both our families, my Brethren, and our communities.  The Rev will do his best to lay them down for you as well as relaying the many great ideas that are coming in from our powerful community.  Meanwhile, I urge all of us to spend wisely when we spend and to conserve where we can.  The power, my Brothers and Sisters, is in our pocket books, purses and wallets.  We have only to wield that power to effect change!!

The Rev would like to leave you with some great links for tunes and tidings.  Keep the Faith My Sisters and Brothers!!

Here is the great prophet, Peter Tosh, laying it down:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oD63-EJW5Y

Here is a link to a very informative article in Democracy Now:


http://www.democracynow.org/2011/11/25/occupy_everywhere_michael_moore_naomi_klein

Compeers

Good day to you, my Brothers and Sisters.  The Reverend has faith that you are enjoying the day and keeping your hard-earned dollars in your pockets.  Say "No" to the Down-Pressor and the heinous plot of Black Friday.

It is with gratitude that I relate to you the wisdom of the young.  My giant genetic envelope called my attention to an esteemed compeer of ours in the struggle, The Reverend Billy.  Now I am here to tell you, Sisters and Brothers, the Reverend Billy is doing good work out there.  The Reverend Squeaky-Eye gives a tip of the Rev Lid to the Rev. Billy and, in the immortal words of our Man, Joe Bob Briggs, urges our Brethren to "Check It Out!"

http://www.revbilly.com/

Now, the Rev has his own struggle to deal with, mostly raking leaves at the Fortress of Solitude, in this brief gap in the torrential GreyNorWet's interminable rain.  Preachin' is fine, but the chores have to be done first, don't you know.  

Keep the Faith, My Brethren!!  

Wishes and Technology

Good Evening friends and neighbors.  The Reverend would like to send out the fondest holiday wishes to all of our Brothers and Sisters on the eve of this holiday.  I am hoping that each of you has the opportunity to be with friends and family during this time.  For those of your that have to work over the holiday, or who are alone or struggling, I send out the message of strength to keep the faith.  I know that all of our Brethren are feeling the same thing for the less fortunate among us.

The Reverend is hanging in fellowship with the family tonight, and will be welcoming the best of friends on the morrow.  Fellowship, food and family, my Sisters and Brothers!  What more do we need in life?

I would like to publicly give a tip of the Rev Lid to The Kid, my enormous genetic envelope, who has been aiding the Reverend's efforts to spread the word.  The Kid created a QR Code for the Squeaky-Eye Blog URL, which will be proudly displayed on the new stickers, which he also created.  Here is some of his handiwork:

These stickers will be available free of charge to any of our Sisters and Brothers who wish to display them for the cause.  In the meantime, I urge all of you to enjoy this holiday time, be kind to our fellow Brethren, and keep the faith.  Remember, we gave them the power, and we are the ones who can take it back.

A Gallon at a Time, Sisters and Brothers, a Gallon at a Time!

In the spirit of keeping our eyes on the prize, The Reverend is going to restate that which has been laid down already, the simple message of reducing debt and reducing consumption.  If our hard-working Brothers and Sisters reduce consumption, they will reduce their costs.  Reduced costs equates to more cash left over at the end of the week and with it the ability to keep paying down the pernicious evil of consumer debt hanging over our households.  

Now, I know our Brethren out there are already trying to find ways to keep more of their wages in their pockets, while at the same time keeping as much money away from the greedy Down-Pressor Man as possible.  Every time one of our number finds a way to live more simply, stepping out, more and more, from under shadow of debt, all of us become lighter and more self-empowered.

I know that the people struggle!  I see it, see it every day.  I see the Brethren opposing the Down-Pressor Man, and one of the greatest of these struggles is trying to stay out ahead of Big Oil. 

How can we do it?  Most of us have the need to get to work, to drive the family to their activities, to bring home those expensive bags of groceries to feed our flocks.  Our mobility is important to us and leaves us at the mercy of the greediest cartel of all, the cartel of Exxon-Mobile, Conoco-Phillips, Chevron and Shell.  

I don't need to tell my Sisters and Brothers that the cost for all fuels has sky-rocketed, and with it have sky-rocketed the profits of these mega-corporations.  Even British Petroleum, whose  recent disastrous oil rig explosion killed working men and polluting the Gulf of Mexico, raked in  huge profits on the backs of the world's working consumers.  

Here are some pertinent links to the rise in oil prices and the rise in oil profits.

http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/04/28/207983/big-oil-profits/

http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/huge-oil-company-profits-roll-in-up-42-from-last-year.html

Here is another link to an article that is, interestingly enough, written from a fairly conservative, investor standpoint.  Even written with the outlook of an investor, some of the points and counterpoints made regarding Exxon's explanations of its profits are illuminating.  

http://seekingalpha.com/article/267072-busting-the-myth-about-oil-company-profits

I can hear people asking, "OK Rev, we all know that oil prices are putting the hurt on the people.  Tell us something we don't know!  What can we do about it?  We all need to get around and you know that fuel prices effect the price of all the things we buy, everyday." 

The Reverend hears you and you are right.  So let's get down to it.  There are methods that I believe our Brethren can use to fight back against the oil companies.  We are, all of us, dependent on the fossil fuel.  But we can do whatever we can to lessen that dependence and with it, lessen the amount of money we are laying out to the Oil Devils.  

The Reverend Says:  "Hit the Sidewalk."  Walking is a great way to get around and its free.  Try walking to the local market, instead of driving the car.  Not only will we get a chance to say hello to our friends and neighbors, but we will get in a bit of exercise as well.  Walking is a way to see and experience things that we never see when we are zooming around in an automobile.  Taking the shoe leather express will change our perspective, help us stay in shape, and most importantly, walking does not require dropping a wad of cash into Big Oil's greedy hand.  

The Reverend Says:  "Double Down."  Ride with a buddy, neighbor or co-worker.  Even if we can only car pool a few days a week, we use less fuel and keep more green, in our pockets and in our world.  If we share one shopping trip or errand with a friend or neighbor, that could be a gallon of fuel saved.  That's four hard-earned dollars my Brethren!   We can plan trips so that we are doing multiple errands in one excursion, choosing our routes so that we avoid unnecessary mileage.  Try starting a community ride pool with your neighbors.  Ride sharing is a great way to save fuel, save money, meet the neighbors and thumb our noses at the Down-Pressor.  We can take a page from our Mexicano Brethren, who will fill a taxi with a spontaneous chant of "Collectivo, collectivo!" until enough folks are gathered to fill a mini-bus or taxi, thus saving all of the members hard coin!  "Viva! Collectivo!"

The Reverend Says:  "Bus it my Brothers!"  That's right, Sisters too, of course.  Riding the bus, the train, the water taxi, the collectivo, all of these public transport options will save our righteous Brethren some serious money and vehicle wear and tear, while at the same time using the means of transport most loathed by the Oil Man.  

The Reverend Says:  "Bike it my Sisters!"  Nothing slams it to the Man and trims off those extra pounds like bicycling to work.  Look online in your local community to hook up with other get-down Brethren who are using the power of the pedal.  

The Reverend Says:  "Maintain it, Man!"  That's right, if we are going to drive, make sure that the old rig is tip-top.  Clean air filters, proper tune-ups and properly inflated tires are all little things that can add up to big savings.  There are a veritable plethora of websites and online information about gas-savings tips for your automobile.  I urge my Brethren to check it out!.

How are we going to lessen Big Oil's stranglehold on our lives?  The answer, my Brethren, is one gallon at a time.  We can reduce consumption and in the process reduce our outlay of cash to the oil barons.  One Gallon at a time my Brothers!  One Gallon at a time my Sisters!  We can, each of us, make a difference.  There are more than 200 million drivers in the United States alone.  If each of our Brothers and Sisters driving automobiles reduced their fuel consumption by one gallon a day, that reduction would equal about 76 Billion gallons of fuel.  Yes indeed my Brethren, that is a LOT of zeros:  76,000,000,000.  And if we convert that to dollars, it comes out to roughly 280 Billion Dollars.  

Remember My Brothers and Sisters, revolutions are not won at a stroke, by magic, or by sitting in front of the television.  Revolutions are won by persistent, incremental shifts in behavior, belief and practice, over a period of time.  The belief is ours and the time is NOW!  I have faith in all of you and I believe that we can, each of us together, throw off the shackles of the Down-Pressor!

Why Do You Suppose They Call it Black Friday?

Good Day to all of my Sisters and Brothers out there, each of you fighting the good fight! 

I come to you today to warn you of something that I am sure each of you has already seen and heard.  This insidious thing, this creeping serpent of which I speak, will come to you on your television, on your radio, through your computer, urging you, cajoling you to submit to its wily message.  What is this thing that slips it unctuous message into your home?  It is the call of Black Friday, the shameless celebration of consumption that marks the beginning of the Down-Pressor's seasonal efforts to ensnare our Brethren in a cycle of consumption and debt.

The Reverend loves the holiday season and hopes, with all his heart, that all of our Brothers and Sisters enjoy a wondrous time, full of the joys that fellowship and family can bring, regardless of whatever beliefs and customs our Brethren chose to engage in.  The one thing, the one thing I would urge all of you is this:  Do not forsake your family and friends, safe and warm with the blessings of a Thanksgiving celebration, to venture out into a late-night frenzy of stress filled consumption at big-box stores.  Why would any of us want to leave the comfort and fellowship of our homes for the darkness and cold of early morning lines to enrich the Down-Pressors?

The lure of the consumption sirens will pull at our Sisters and Brothers, touting fantastic savings to be had for those lucky few, those who arrive early enough to partake of the bargains.  These big box stores are opening their doors at 4 AM, 3 AM, even at midnight on Thanksgiving Day, in an attempt to lure our good people out of their homes, in the hope of illusory savings.  That's right, illusory!!  Most of the big-box stores advertise amazing bargains on hard-sought holiday gift items, but remember the words of our esteemed Brother, Mister Tom Waits, "The Large Print Giveth, and the Small Print Taketh Away".  And such is the case with these "Bargains".  Most of the items that are advertised at unbelievable discounts are just that my Brethren, unbelievable.  The quantities of these items are usually so limited as to be non-existent.  Read the fine print in the ads!  Always read the fine print!!  As one of our groups of prophets, Public Enemy said, "Don't Believe the Hype!!".   They are luring you out of your warm beds to sell you a bill of goods.  

Here are several websites that will help you get the low-down on Black Friday.  And while we are at it, just think about the name itself.  Who would want to be associated with a day that carries such a distinction?  Even if one ignores the bait-and-switch tactics that the Down-Pressors resort to in an effort to fleece my Brothers and Sisters, most shopping experts agree that this day of celebrating consumption is not even a good day for real bargains.  

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-41141660/why-you-should-avoid-black-friday-entirely-this-year/

http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=7c27f378-1225-4702-97e7-8e3c219ff411

As we enter this joyous holiday season, the Reverend will be passing on tips and tricks for enjoying all that this precious time has to offer, while not going broke in the process.  For today, I am urging each and everyone of us to buy nothing on Black Friday.  That is correct my Brethren, Buy Nothing!  Our friends at Ad-Busters have been preaching this gospel for 20 years!  They are most Righteous!

http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd

In conclusion my friends, if possible, celebrate this Thanksgiving Week with your family and friends.   If the urge to buy something is overwhelming, I would offer a constructive solution.  Take a few dollars and buy some bagels or hot chocolate or whatever sustaining treats strike your fancy, and take them down to your Sisters and Brothers at the local Occupy Protests.  Trust the Rev on this one, by supporting the protests, you will not only be striking a blow for all of us, but you will also be having a better day than any you have ever had at the mall.

Keep the Faith!!

The Power of the Purse

Hello My Brothers and Sisters!  The Reverend Squeaky-Eye is here to tell you that it is, indeed, a wonderful life.  What I want to talk to you about today is the power that each of us possess, the power of our purses, our wallets, and even our man-bags if my Brothers are so inclined.  The Rev has said it before, and I will say it again:  The greatest power that consumer's have is the power to chose where they spend their money, where they save and bank their money, and where they invest their money.

Sisters and Brothers, if a big bank does not listen to you, does not treat you fairly, take your hard-earned dollars out of that bank and move those dollars to a local bank or credit union, one that does business in your town, a credit union or bank that loans money to your friends and neighbors.  Find and support a local institution that didn't take tax-payer bail-out money and then use that money in a lobbying attempt to stop financial regulation legislation.  Move that money, my Brethren!!!  Move that money!!  

When the "too-big-to-fail" banks fail, once again, to listen to the people, Move That Money!!.  The big, fat cat bankers send out their Down-Pressors to spread the lie that what is good for the big banks is good for the country.  They are charlatans and false, and the truth is not in them.  The big banks will tell you, in their oily voices,  that moving your money will hurt the economy.  I am here to tell you that these are lies and deceits!! The Reverend is here to testify to you that it is the greed, the unabashed and flagrant greed of the big banks that has all but ruined our economy, put our Brethren out of work, forced our Brethren out of their houses, into the streets and shelters, onto the unemployment rolls and into the food bank lines.  The parasites that are the bankers, these shysters, these Potters, they are the agents who are hurting our country, without any regard for the damage that their grasping ways bring about.

My friends, the tradition of the holiday season approaches.  I have a homework assignment for all of my Sisters and Brothers.  During this holiday season, I want each of you to watch the Frank Capra film "It's a Wonderful Life".  I know we have all seen this story, but I want you to watch it again.  I want each of us to watch this story and pay attention to the greedy Potter and how George Bailey, and his friends and neighbors, resist Potter and his  greedy attempts to shut down the "Good old Savings and Loan".  

After we all sing "Auld Lang Syne" and the credits role, I want all of us to look at the way we, as consumers, are treated by the large banks, insurance and trading companies.  Then, think about how the people came to the aid of the Savings and Loan, propping up the little bank until it could once more prosper.  In our modern story, it is the other way around!!  We have had our hard-earned money, tax-payer money, used to bail out the Potters of Wall Street!  Our money has been used to promote and reward the avarice and mis-management of these huge, uncaring financial behemoths.  

The Reverend Squeaky-Eye is here to tell you that nothing and no one is "too-big-to-fail".  This arrogance is spread across our land by the fat cats, and their Down-Pressors, in an attempt to hide the truth that they have, in fact, already failed us!! The bail out of theses monsters, which was accomplished with our money, has not only aided the Potters, but it has made the banking segment even more top-heavy while weakening the viability of small and local banks.  

Please take the time to read this excellent story in the Huffington Post regarding this very issue:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/move-your-money-a-new-yea_b_406022.html

Here is a link to the Move Your Money Project that has a wealth of information for our Brethren.


http://moveyourmoneyproject.org/

As we near that holiday season, the Reverend will have a great deal to say about consuming and spending and how, for many of us, the holiday season, with its frenzy of shopping, can be ruinous rather than joyous.  But tempering the caution with joy,  I want to wish all of my Brothers and Sisters a wonderful, rewarding and responsible holiday season.  


Remember!!  We have the power to promote lasting financial freedom for ourselves!!
If 20% pay down 20% We Strike a Blow!!

The Corporate Squeeze

Good Day Friends and Neighbors!  


I recently received the following message from a most Righteous Sister in Seattle:


"But Reverend, I just received my heating oil bill and it is over $1000! Geezus! That's an all time high. When I bought my house in 2003 the price was $1.68/gal, now it is $4.39/gal. Choke. I've insulated, I conserve. Feeling downpressed by oil and the need to stay warm."

The Reverend's heart goes out to this Sister, and to all of the Brethren who are suffering the squeeze of Big Oil's hold on our lives.  We are, almost all of us, beholden to the fossil fuels in one way or another, and to the corporations and cartels that control the flow and pricing of oil.  The energy business is a huge beast, with its tentacles extending into many facets of our lives.  

I know the Sister who sent me this comment, and I know her to be an informed and Righteous Sister who is trying to live with as little impact as possible.  But, like all of us, she needs to stay warm in the winter.  The price of oil has spiked and declined over the last ten years, based in large part on speculation for profit by those who produce nothing.  Regardless of the declines and rises of oil costs over the years that our Sister has owned her home, the mean price of oil has risen over 250%.  How does a household plan a budget for these kinds of commodity price increases?  Oil is not the only commodity that is squeezing my Brothers and Sisters.  Grain prices have skyrocketed in recent years, in part based on flawed bio-fuel policies.  Food costs have risen accordingly.

Here is a recent NPR story on heating oil costs and the damage that can result.  It is interesting to note the added cost of diesel fuel for the delivery trucks and how that pushes oil delivery costs up.  I will be discussing the role of the oil companies, and speculators, at the end of today's entry.

http://www.npr.org/2011/10/20/141537373/home-heating-oil-prices-spike-as-cold-weather-nears

I wish I had a silver-bullet answer for the many working folks that are suffering from the effects of commodity price increases.  Sadly, I do not.  I have only more hard truths to offer.  Yesterday I urged the Brethren to compile a household budget and to begin to track household expenses against the projected costs of the budget.  Our Sister's huge heating oil bill is a brutal example of actual costs over-riding a projected budget amount.  There is not much to be done for the Sister's oil bill but the struggle to pay it.  Looking to the future, however, a large expense or seasonal item, such as heating costs, are something that can be worked into the household budget during the summer months when heating costs are low.  It can be a difficult thing to set aside money in the summer for bills that will come due in the winter, but, with discipline, it can be done.  Many utility companies and fuel suppliers have plans where consumers can pay more in the summer to hedge against costs in the winter.  This method effectively averages out the cost of heating by allowing consumers to pay in increments each month.  This method allows the cost of the seasonal commodity to be spread out over a full year to avoid shock billings that can sink a budget and cause a financial crisis in the household.

Here is an interesting link to a trade article on oil pricing and speculation, as well as consumer tips for dealing with rising oil prices.  Remember, this is an industry journal.


http://www.heatingnews.org/docs/issues/eccpricesissuebrief_spring2011.pdf

The Reverend, once again, has to voice the hard truth.  There is no easy path for the working consumer.  Costs for basic commodities are rising, partially because of increased demand by countries like India and China, but more directly because of the impact of higher fuel costs and speculation in the energy markets.   One of the only ways that our Brethren can prepare for, and deal with, these types of costs, is to formulate a household budget and then take that cold, hard look at where the money is going.  If there is not enough money in the November budget for the heating oil bill, we can try to budget that cost over the other months to cushion the blow.  

We are on our own my Sisters and Brothers!  The Rev believes that we have to look to ourselves to find the pathway to greater financial freedom.  The Down-Pressors do not want you to be free.  The Corporate Demon does not want you to have the ability to move your money to responsible companies or community oriented banks or credit unions.  Remember, even though the path is hard, and I am here to tell you that it is hard, we have the power to prevail.  It will be a long struggle and a difficult struggle.  Success will be measured in increments, not in sweeping change.  The Demons and their Down-Pressors will always be there, waiting to hold us down.  Fight Back!!  There are those who would poison our Brethren with lies, who would tell our good Sisters and Brothers that greater financial freedom, the freedom from oppressive debt, is too difficult to achieve.  This is not the truth.  The truth, though a hard truth, is that we, each of us, have the power to begin to make changes in each of our lives.  We, each of us, have the power to reach out and help our fellow human beings make positive changes in their lives.  We have the power to model positive change for our children and our friends and neighbors.  

I said I would discuss the oil companies and oil speculators.  This topic is high on the Rev's agenda and will require entire blog entries to be devoted to it.  I hope that the few comments I offer here will suffice for now.

Oil companies and oil speculators have been raking in record profits while, at the same time, working consumers are being crushed under the ever-rising costs of all things associated, directly or indirectly, with fuel prices.  Whether paying more for gasoline to drive to work, or paying more for goods delivered in a truck, even heating oil, the consumer pays while the oil barons profit.  

At the same time that oil companies are profiting from our Brethren's economic pain, they are spewing out advertising that touts the new "green" image of Big Oil.  Know the charlatan when you see him, my Brothers and Sisters!  Snake oil and lies, that is what Big Oil is selling you.  Oil companies devastate communities and environments around the world as they extract crude with which to reap even more profit.  

Fighting Big Oil, and the parasitic speculators that follow in their wake, will be a daunting task.  The Rev is addressing it only in the context of the struggle for personal financial freedom.

Below are some interesting links with varying viewpoints on oil pricing and oil speculation.  The Reverend thanks you, with all his heart, for reading this today.  Remember, "If 20% Pay Down 20% We Strike a Blow!"

http://www.stopoilspeculationnow.com/home.aspx

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/michaeltomasky/2011/apr/25/obama-administration-usdomesticpolicy-coming-war-on-gas-prices

http://www.econmatters.com/2011/05/speculation-does-not-explain-high-oil.html

Debt and Consumption: A Squeaky-Eye Overview

If 20% Pay Down 20%, We Strike a Blow!


Yesterday, I received this pertinent comment from an anonymous Brother or Sister: 
"Hey Rev, I see personal debt reduction as one aspect of personal financial freedom. Another is reducing consumption. Will you enlighten us with your thoughts about this?"

The Rev is, indeed, happy and grateful for the opportunity to discuss these two aspects of personal financial freedom.  I thank this astute reader for giving me the opening for this entry, which is what I was going to talk to you about anyway.  

I have to liken the idea of less consumption and less debt to the conundrum of the perpetual diet craze. Many of us struggle with a few, or more than a few, extra pounds that we would like to shed.  Losing weight, and then keeping that weight off, is a difficult struggle for a great many of our Brethren.  We count calories, try to exercise and eat in a more healthy fashion, while at the same time we are bombarded with tempting messages, which tout easy solutions and magic, fat-burning pills.  Fad diets tell us we can eat as much as we want and still lose weight.  In our hearts, my Sisters and Brothers, we know that these are lies and snake-oil, pure and simple.  Yet, time and time again, some of us fall for the temptation and then, as we knew we would be, we are disappointed when we are duped by the allure of the easy fix.  There are only three basic ways to lose weight:  Eat Less, Exercise More, or Both.  That is the hard truth of it.  

The Reverend is here to tell you the hard truth, not the soft lie.  The same basic equation of weight loss applies to personal financial freedom from debt.  The hard truth of debt is that there are three basic ways to break the chains of the demon:  Spend Less Money, Make More Money, or Both.  To make matters even grittier, I have to be straight up when I tell you that the gospel of a debt-free life is the gospel of making life changes.  Of course those three little thing are just a starting point, but here we are at the beginning, so let us start.

There is no easy fix.  The Reverend Squeaky-Eye does not have a magic bullet to make your life better.  No one does!  If some snake-oil salesman comes to you with a program of three step financial freedom that does not include changing the way you live your financial life, know the charlatan for who he is!!   This here road that I am telling you about, this Glory Road to financial freedom, it is a hard road.  This road is a rocky road, a road without the promise of soft tread or easy travel.  And yet, this is the road that has the true reward of breaking out from under the crushing weight of the foot of the Down-Pressor.

Personal Debt Reduction & Reduced Consumption

When I look at these two methods for achieving financial freedom, I see one thing.  They are inextricably linked, each either enhancing the other to aid our Brethren or, when increased rather than reduced, bringing our Brothers and Sisters to ruin.  If a family takes the cold, hard look at where their money goes, they may see areas where they can reduce costs by buying less, buying more wisely, or not buying at all.  Reducing consumption means an increase of funds on hand.  A Sister will have more of her hard earned paycheck left in her hand if she spends less.  A Brother who wisely spends less of his income has more ability to pay down whatever consumer debt is looming, like a great shadow, over his head and over his family.

Reducing consumption can be viewed as the first step in getting out of the pit of debt.  The first thing a Brother or Sister has to do to get out of a hole is to put down the infernal shovel and stop digging.  I know that this is a hard thing, I know it is, but I am here to tell you, you have to put that shovel down!  In our lives, we can be battered and worn down by the day-to-day struggle of just trying to keep a job.  We work hard so we can keep the family fed an warm.  That, in and of itself, is no small achievement, and proud I am of all of those who maintain the fight. Sometimes, in the midst of that struggle, we see some small thing that would seem to make us feel better, some small luxury that we cannot afford but we can have, if we only succumb to the lure of gratification allowed by the use of credit.  So we acquire that thing, and in the struggle to keep the family cared for, we let that hole of debt get a little bit deeper.  It is an insidious process, made more so by the daily barrage of messages that tell us all will be well if we only have this car, or this product, or this hairstyle.  It is snake-oil and lies, my Brethren!  Put down the shovel and stop digging the hole!

Reducing consumption is a slow and methodical task.  Again, this is the hard truth.  Spending and consumption are a habit, and like any habit, they are hard to break.  We want what want, and we like to have the things we are used to.  But, my Brother and Sisters, if these very things are becoming the millstones around our necks, dragging us down, we have to free ourselves.  The Reverend believes in the power of a budget.  A Sister running a family has got to know where the money is going before she can change where that money is going.  Preparing and keeping a budget is not that difficult and it is very illuminating.  I have to testify that I keep a budget religiously.  I save every single receipt for anything that I buy and I stuff the receipts in a yogurt container (I eat the yogurt first).  At the end of the month, I tally up all of the costs and compare those costs to what I had budgeted for the month.  A clear picture of the actual state of your finances is the first step towards improving the state of your finances!

Here are some links to easy budge templates that our Brethren can do at home.  

http://www.smartaboutmoney.org/ResourceLibrary/SearchResults/tabid/442/default.aspx?m=832&RID=115&gclid=CMTkpZXRu6wCFYHe4Aod_loQow

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT010117232.aspx

Over the coming days, the Reverend intends to offer up specific ideas for reducing consumption, both on the broader plane of the disease of consumption in our society, and in the narrow focus of the nuts and bolts of how a household can cut costs.  For today, I am urging you, with all of my heart, to begin to bring the picture of your personal financial world into sharp focus, no matter how difficult that picture may be to look at.  We must, all of us, strive for a realistic view of our present financial life before we can make concrete changed to improve that life.  Please, take the step of preparing a budget and then tracking your families costs!!

What do we mean when we say the goal is to reduce personal debt?  While I acknowledge the immense freedom that comes with a completely debt-free life, I understand that this is difficult if not impossible for many of our Brethren.  Not all debt is the same and some types of debt are not as onerous as others.  Before we reduce debt, we have to identify it.

Unsecured Consumer Debt is the most pernicious evil that can beset a Sister or a Brother's personal financial well-being.  When I speak of unsecured debt, I am talking primarily about credit card debt.  When I urge you to reduce the debt that be-devils you, this is the place to start.  Credit cards themselves are not evil.  The Reverend has three credit cards that he uses for convenience, for travel and for acquiring frequent flyer miles. It is critical to add, however, that every one of these cards has a zero balance at the end of the month.  This is not because the Reverend has some higher moral temperament.  No, Sisters and Brother, I have a zero balance because I have personally suffered the degradation of being ground under the heel of the Down-Pressor, have been beaten down by the vicious cycle of debt and payment, and I have vowed never, ever, to be under that heel again.  

I will tell you a parable, my Brethren.  In the credit card industry, a righteous Sister of Brother who uses the credit cards, and then pays them off each and every month, is known, in the parlance of the business, as a "Deadbeat".  The Down-Pressor only makes money off of interest, and more and more frequently, off of late fees and other fees that they charge at every opportunity.  Remember that to be a "Deadbeat" to these people is a badge of honour to be worn proudly!  If you can use the outside financial system to your benefit, I salute and applaud you.  Please send in examples of ways to use the system for the benefit of our Brethren and I will be more than happy to post them here!!  Remember, it is the debt that is the burden, not the card, provided we have the discipline to wield the card as a tool.

The Reverend Squeaky-Eye, in his call to action, is urging 20% of the people with unsecured consumer debt to pay down 20% of that debt over the coming year.  I am imploring you to concentrate on consumer debt first.  Credit card debt is at the top of the target list because it does the most harm and is the most insidious.  

The next level of debt to be aware of is the lure of the "No Interest Ninety-days Same as Cash" installment loans for purchases like household furniture.  These contracts sound like free money until we read the fine print.  Remember the words of our esteemed Brother, Mister Tom Waits:  "That's right buddy, the large print giveth and the small print taketh away!"  If you do not make all of the payments, complete, in the allotted time, the full interest of the contract comes to bear for the entire purchase.  Beware, Brothers, beware!

Automobile payments make up the next tier of debt.  Many of us have a love-affair with automobiles.  The automobile advertisers would lead us to believe that these new cars will make us more desirable, successful and happier.  In truth, buying a new car is one of the worst purchases our Brethren can make.  And the economic downturn has made good used cars harder to find.  The Reverend would suggest that my Brothers and Sisters keep driving the car that they have.  Paying off a family vehicle and then continuing to drive the vehicle is one great step toward financial freedom.  Not having a car payment is a wonderful thing, not to mention the benefits of being able to reduce the insurance coverage required on a car that is owned outright.

Here is a link on buying cars and the car market in this economy.  

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/07/smart-strategies-for-car-buying-season/

Finally, there is mortgage debt.  I do not have a great issue with mortgage debt, or the rent that many of our Brethren are paying, simply because we all have to have someplace to live and it is beyond the means of most of us to own our domicile outright.  While there are many good strategies for reducing mortgage payments and debt, we will be concentrating, for the most part, on the difficulties of consumer debt rather than mortgage or rental payments.  

I want to thank the readers for more great comments than I can address in today's entry.  I promise to make note of and to attempt to respond to each comment, whether it be about heating oil costs or the idea of a people's bank, or any of the other amazing ideas and comments that are being brought to the Rev's attention.

The Reverend Squeaky-Eye is humbled and offers a Call to Action

"If 20% pay down 20% we strike a blow"

Hello Friends and Neighbors!  Let me start right out with an acknowledgement and shout-out to our Sisters and Brothers who are taking the struggle to the streets of our cities and towns.  These courageous citizens are marching, and occupying, in an effort to shine a light on the corporate stranglehold our people are suffering under.  The Reverend Squeaky-Eye salutes, supports, and applauds them.  

I am humbled and awed that in the less than twenty-four hours since the Rev's first blog post, I have received outstanding comments and feedback.  

Yesterday the Reverend said "protests are not enough to bring down the greedy".  The Reverend will say that again, and add that action is required.  Here is some of the feedback that was generated by that statement:

" I do want to say though, that occupy HAS made a great statement with their protests. We must be visible..because we live in corporate media-hood. .....The protesters have matched their words with their actions. The Move your money campaign (many are and have), camp-outs at foreclosed homes/fighting with those taking on the banks and their corrupt and capricious policies in the courts. They are taking on Citizens United by supporting Move to Amend, getting rid of corporate person-hood."

Let the Reverend Squeaky-Eye be the first to rise up and shout "Amen Sister!!".  The Reverend is completely supportive of the Occupy Movement.  I applaud the actions that the Move Your Money campaign has taken, and encourage people to continue those actions.  I am also completely supportive of all of the efforts by our Sisters and Brothers to demand that the US Supreme Court rescind the establishment of "corporate person-hood". 

A righteous Brother, with deep life experience in the business world, wrote to me to say the following: 

Hey Reverend Squeaky-Eye!  "There were 114,825,428 households in the U.S as of 2010.  I believe the average household consumer debt is just at $15,000.  Not sure if that 

includes car debt.  But, if not, that number would be higher. 

Just for demo, that would be $112,239,100,000.00 in consumer debt. 20% would = $34,447,620,000.00 in payoffs.  Or, about $3,000 per household.  Based on recent job shrinkage numbers, low levels of savings in the U.S., REAL unemployment, I'd suspect implementation of a reduction in debt to be in the hands of the lenders.  Not in those of the borrowers."

The statistics that our Brother is referring to are listed on the US Census website which you can access with this link.

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/banking_finance_insurance/payment_systems_consumer_credit_mortgage_debt.html

Now is the time for the Reverend Squeaky-Eye to respond to our Brother's comments, and at the same time lay down for you one of the most important action points in the Squeaky-Eye agenda.  For far too long, control of consumer debt has, indeed, been in the hands of the lenders, not the borrowers.   We are a nation, a world, of borrowers.  We, as a people, have given this power to the lenders, those that control the capital.  As we have given this power away, we can take this power back.

The Rev's first call to action is simple.  I am asking all of the Brothers and Sisters out there to take a cold, hard look at the credit card and consumer debt that they have.  Do you see it?  Now, the call to action is for 20% of households with consumer debt to pay off 20% of that consumer debt over the course of the next year.  

I know that this is no small thing.  It will require serious effort and, yes, it will require doing without some of the acquisition behavior that we have fallen into the habit of.  Consuming, and the culture of "Stuff" is rampant in our society. Consumption of "stuff" is encouraged, daily, in the form of a steady bombardment of advertising that rains down upon us.   

Some of our people have already asked some hard questions:

"Reverend, I am unemployed and things are not looking good.  How can I pay down my debt when I have no job?"  

The Rev understands that not everyone or every family can pay down their debt in the midst of this current financial morass we find ourselves in.  We are urging the individuals and families who can begin to pay down their debt to do so.  We are also encouraging those who can support our unemployed and suffering Brothers and Sisters to do so.  

"Hey Squeaky-Eye!  What good will it do to pay down my debt?"

Why would I urge the Brethren to reduce their consumer debt?  There are a number of valid reasons.  First, a population indebted is a population enslaved.  Paying down our debt makes us less beholden to the banks, and sends a message to the banks that we are willing to tighten our belts to enact financial change.  Secondly, paying down our debt actually puts more money into our pockets in the form of reduced interest payments to service consumer debt. Finally, lessening our consumer debt is a form or personal empowerment, which puts financial control back into our own hands. 

"Reverend, how can I tell my kids they need to do without new clothes or new toys?"

The Rev knows that this is hard task and that it is asking a great deal to even try to pay down consumer debt while at the same time meeting the needs of our families.  I would urge each of us to take some simple steps to reduce our spending.  First, work out a real, on-paper, budget.  There are many great templates available online for doing this.  I do a budget every month and I can tell you, at first, I was shocked.  I had no idea where my money was going.  The Rev believes that to direct the flow of your own money, you have to know where the money is going in the first place.  Building a realistic monthly budget and then sticking to it is one of the most useful financial tools that all of us can take advantage of.  

Our communities and our friends, family and neighbors are a fantastic resource for setting up networks and exchanges and barter systems.  Many neighborhoods have set up tool rental programs.  Several households sharing one lawnmower, for example saves everyone money and its a great way to get to know your neighbors and strengthen your community ties.

http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/community/start-a-neighborhood-tool-share-program-143790

Another great community idea is to start or participate in a neighborhood toy exchange or toy library.  There are lots of different examples around this great world of ours.  Here is an example of a fantastic idea in England:

http://www.toy-library.co.uk/

"Reverend, I can't pay 20% of my consumer debt.  What should I do?"

I know that this is hard.  What we are talking about here is a difficult thing indeed.  I can share with you that the Rev has been there, suffering under a burden of debt that seemed insurmountable.  There was a time when the Reverend owed over $30,000 in consumer debt.  One of the reasons that I am so adamant about this call to action is that I know what it is like to be borrowing here to pay there, juggling accounts, praying for some kind of miracle just to make ends come even close for that week or that month.  I understand the debilitating struggle to just pay the interest on a mountain of debt that never gets any smaller.  I have the deepest compassion for all of the Sisters and Brothers out there who are struggling with this very situation.  

Here is what I suggest, what I urge you to try.  Look closely at where your money is going each month.  Take a cold, hard, honest look at what your money is being spent on.  Try to identify the things or areas where you could spend a little less and use that money to pay down some of that burden of debt.  Our 20% figure is a target my Brethren!  Some of us can only pay down 10% or 5% while others can pay down more. 

The goal is to work towards personal financial empowerment and to send a message to the Down-Pressor Man.  I have faith in you, my Sisters and Brothers!  I have faith and I have hope that we can do these difficult things that must be done!

I am the Reverend Squeaky-Eye, and I am Angry!!

Hello Sisters and Brothers.  My name is the Reverend Squeaky-Eye, and I come here today to testify.  When I look out across this great world, I see that the hard-working Brothers and Sisters are troubled.  The dream of financial equity, for so long dangled before the eyes of those that labor, has turned to dust and ashes in the fireplaces of the very wealthy few.  The life-savings of the workers are gobbled up by the greed of hedge-fund managed predators.  Corporations are given the same rights by law as human beings, without being required to show the common decency or human compassion with which we treat our Sisters and Brothers, and with which we expect to be treated.  The people have a right to be troubled!  These are troubling times.

Some of my Brethren have taken to the streets and institutions of our cities and towns, demanding an end to the tyranny that the Financial Demons wield over the people.  I salute those that have taken to the streets tin an effort to make their voices heard!  And yet, and yet my best beloved, the Reverend can, and does, speak from the vantage point of many years experience marching and protesting and manning the barricades.  Protest is not enough to bring down the greedy!  Action is what is required!  We cannot suffer the slings and arrows of these Demons fortunes, nor can we take arms against them for they control the forces of the law, whether just or not.  The working people ask, what then can we do?  What we can do is take action.

While protest will make our voices heard, action will make our voices felt.  These Demons of Greed understand one thing and one thing only:  Profit.  Profit is the golden calf, the be-all and end-all of the corporate world.  Profit is the mantra of the Financial Demon.  Take away the Demon's profit and you will strike fear into the heart of the corporate world.  It is each of us, Sisters and Brothers, who contribute to the profit, and hence the power, of the Corporate Demon.  We have been duped into freely bestowing this power on the monster, and we have the wherewithal to take this power back.  

The power, my Brothers and Sisters, lies not in our protests, but in our pocketbooks.  How and where we spend, bank and invest our money determines who profits from that money.  If we spend, bank and invest our hard earned money with the greedy corporate demons, the demons profit from our actions and grow more powerful.  If, on the other hand, we reduce our spending, bank and invest responsibly, and, most importantly, pay off as much of our consumer debt as possible, then we take back the power from the Financial Demon and bestow it upon those that we trust.

In the coming days and weeks, I will devote myself to bringing you a simple message and that message is this:  "Take Back the Power by Taking Back the Money".  The Reverend Squeaky-Eye will do his level best to offer up simple, concrete and achievable plans and ideas that we can all use to fight the power.  In the meantime, here is the gospel that will be my guiding light as we struggle against the Demons.

The Gospel According to the Reverend Squeaky-Eye

1)  Every Brother and Sister strives for Financial Freedom.

2)  The Financial Demons, and their Down-Pressors, only have the power that we give them.  There is a message of hope, Sisters and Brothers:  We can take that power back!

3)  The forces of the Financial Demons, The Down-Pressors, constantly strive to enslave our Sisters and Brothers in a net of debt, deceit and the false promise of a better life through consumption.  These are lies!

4)  Credit Card debt, and the rampant consumer spending credit cards encourage, are the two greatest scourges to our people’s Financial Freedom.

5)  The Down-Pressors spread lies throughout the land, beguiling our Brothers and Sisters with the falsehood that purchasing the devil’s goods, with the demon tool of the credit card, bestows freedom on the People.

6)  It is futile for our Brothers and Sisters to simultaneously protest the actions of the Down-Pressor if they are at the same time contributing to the Down-Pressor’s wealth, and thus enhancing the Demon’s power over our Brothers and Sisters.

7)  If our Sisters and Brothers, across the lands, band together and begin to throw off the chains of the Corporate Demons, then a shock wave will roll across these lands, shaking the very foundations upon which the Down-Pressors have built their prisons.